Time crunch is a serious issue in the gaming industry. For those unfamiliar with this term, this is where developers pull long hours each day to get a game out on schedule. It’s done by a lot of major developers today, but even still, it’s looked down upon.
There’s a reason for this. No one should be forced to work long hours if they don’t want to. In addition to causing fatigue, this can lead to poor results and decisions. One developer is speaking out against this common gaming practice.
That company is Obsidian Entertainment. You probably remember their work from the original Fallout and Fallout: New Vegas. They’re accustomed to working on major AAA titles. Well, their upcoming project — The Outer Worlds — is shaping up to be an amazing and in-depth experience.
Despite the amount of detail that’s going into this first-person RPG, Obsidian Entertainment is adamant about being against game crunching. They even went on record saying that the studio is committed to staying crunch-free. Brian Hines — Senior Designer — confirmed these statements by saying this crunch tactic has never been part of their creation formula.
This is great to see. So many developers feel immense pressure from publishers looking to get games out as soon as possible. The truth is: Great games take a lot of time and work. You can’t just speed through different aspects just because a publisher wants to start maximizing the return on their investment immediately.
Obsidian Entertainment seems genuine in not putting crunch pressure on their talented team. Crunching may work every now and then, but long-term, it will lead to worker fatigue. It could even lead to job turnover — which isn’t how a major developing company makes it in the gaming industry today.
Even if that means gamers have to wait a little longer to get their hands on major AAA titles, holding off on crunch is best for everyone in the end. Sure, delaying a major project like The Outer Worlds would cost money — but it would ensure no corners are cut.
This ultimately benefits gamers hoping for The Outer Worlds to be an amazing experience and worth their hard-earned cash. If you’re a fan of gaming, you shouldn’t want crunch to be part of any developer’s formula. It just puts too much pressure on everyone involved in these massive gaming projects.
Hopefully, more developers follow the route of Obsidian Entertainment. It would make the gaming industry much better overall.
